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Retro Console Collecting - Part XI (Craigslist Finally Comes Through!)

Schizo — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:08:33 GMT

At the rate I've been posting updates, I'll be lucky to average a post a month since I started this thing. Oh well, you can't rush greatness.

Which would hold true if my ramblings could be equated to greatness. Or even medicoreness. Is that even a word? You know the quality of your writing is poor when you make up words (and your last name is not Seuss).

Anyways...

For those of you with long memories, you may recall one of my early posts dealt with ways to obtain more games/consoles/controllers/money sinks for the collection. For those of you with short memories (or those of you who burned that painful drivel out of your heads long ago), you can read about it here: Shameless self-plug ahoy!

So for the last year and a half or so, I've been scouring the ads on my local Craigslist daily looking for deals on any old games and systems. There usually is anywhere from fifty to one hundred ads posted every day. You'd think that somewhere in there would be some great deals on some retro hardware and games, right?

You'd be wrong.

The posts on my local Craigslist, with regard to video games can be sorted into the following categories:

Modern PS3/360 game (usually not interested in these)

Modern console repair (fix your red ring of death today!)

General misplaced ads/scams

Worthless retro games (hey, anyone want to buy the thirtieth copy listed of Madden 2001 for the PS1 for $10?)

People who have decent and/or rare games, but actually know what the are worth (c'mon, I'm looking for deals here!)

People who have older games with no idea what they are worth...in a bad way (ultra-rare NES system comes with the also ultra-rare Mario/Duck Hunt cartridge...a steal at only $500! Price FIRM! I know what this is worth!)

Do you see what is missing from that list?

Yup, I'm looking for games in decent shape that are actually priced reasonably. I've really yet to find much of anything like that on Craigslist for the last year and a half of searching.

Am I being too picky? Probably.
Do I not want to overspend? Definitely.
Is this blog post actually going anywhere with this? Possibly.

So finally, let's get down to it. As you probably already surmised from the title of this post (and aren't you a smart cookie!), I finally did manage to score some decent items off of Craigslist. A seller posted up an ad for a few of the Suikoden games on the PS2 along with some strategy guides. After speaking with him, I found out he had quite a bit more for sale. So I did what any good collector would do.

I beat him up on the price and snapped the whole thing up.

The spoils:

Xenosaga I - III, plus strategy guides for II and III, and the bonus DVD for I.

Valkyrie Profile 2, Okami, Shining Force Neo - all three in excellent condition, plus the strategy guides, The strategy guide for Okami is still sealed. Plus, I got a nifty little drawing board with Okami that came in that Capcom box, apparently only available to those that pre-ordered the game.

Stella Deus, Growlanser Generations Deluxe, and Wizardry - all three in very good condition

Suikoden III, IV, V and Tactics - IV, V, and Tactics all have their respective strategy guides. Underneath III is an Art of Suikoden IV book. Above Suikoden V is an Art of Suikoden V book still sealed.

Sealed copies of Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 and Growlanser Heritage of War - I know it doesn't show in the picture well, but both are factory sealed copies.

Assorted PS1 games - Bottom L to R: Breath of Fire III, Vandal Hearts (some sun fading on cover), Eternal Eyes
Middle: Beyond the Beyond
Top L to R: Vagrant Story, Alundra, Lunar Silver Star Story Complete

Other various odditioes - two cards for Tales of the Abyss (same picture on both, I just flipped one around so you could see the back). Says they were a limited edition run of 24,000. Not sure what the story is behind them. The other seems to be similar to a game manual for Atelier Iris 3. Maybe a promotional piece? I'm not sure.

So anyway, there you have it. I finally get a chance to ~~discuss~~ brag about Craigslist coming through.

What's that you say? Oh, you want to know how much I paid for all that?

I'm not proud to say it, but I blew $470 on all that. It seems pretty excessive, but I talked the seller down from around $625 or so, so I think I managed to come out with a pretty decent deal out of the whole thing.

Now I just need to find a diamond in the rough score. Like an Earthbound for a dollar, or something along those lines. And while I'm wishing for things that will never happen, I might as well add a Ferrari to that list.

In parting, here is some reality tv gold for you:

Retro Console Collecting - Part X (The Holy Grail)

Schizo — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:19:03 GMT

Oh dear. The cobwebs. The dust. I think I even saw a few cockroaches scurrying their way through here. And who left the back door unlocked? I think I saw a few ~~squatters~~ comment spammers camping out in here.

Well, we cleared all that riff-raff out. Time for a little spit & polish, a little elbow grease, (a lot of booze), and we're gonna make this place shine again.

(In other words, I am totally going to start making regular updates and articles again)

And if you believe that last statement, then I've got this prime waterfront real estate I'll sell ya cheap

Since I've been so busy in the last year or so (read: lazy), I would be here for quite a while trying to document all the various pickups and scores I've made since my last update.

So I'm not gonna do that. Besides, you'd be bored with that anyway. I'll bore you with a completely different topic instead.

What I am going to talk about today is one of those pieces that you want in your collection more than any other. A single game that would make you so happy to finally own, and the piece that is a centerpiece of your collection.

I speak of finding the holy grail.

No, not that holy grail...

Everyone has their holy grail when it comes to collecting. Usually it is something quite rare, expensive, or holds some sentimental value.

My holy grail? I speak of Earthbound for the SNES.

It will be mine. Oh yes...it will be mine.

Earthbound was a sequel to an NES game only released in Japan called "Mother". The game was incredibly well-received by critics and fans alike, however the game only sold 140,000 copies in North America. This was due to a couple of fatal flaws:

Late lifecycle release - Earthbound was released in 1995, well into the SNES' lifecycle. At this point, the Sega Saturn had already been released, the Sony Playstation was coming soon, and the N64 was already announced and was about a year away. Gamers simply weren't buying the games for these older systems with new ones on the horizon.
Piss-poor marketing - Earthbound has to rate among one of the largest marketing failures for games at that time. Nintendo started their advertising for the game using a series of scratch n' sniff stickers (which all smelled horrible as I recall) to promote the game. You also had some print ad gems like this one:

Because everyone wants to buy a game that stinks
The genre - Fianl Fantasy VII was still a couple of years away, and the majority of gamers weren't playing JRPGs. These titles were still considered a niche market, and weren't expected to sell as well.

So Earthbound had all this going against it from the start. No wonder it didn't sell so well.

So why do I want it?

Well, for starters, Earthbound is unique in that the box is so much larger than a standard SNES box. Why you ask? Because they included a strategy guide with the game.

Let me spell that out again, just to let that sink in with you for a moment.

They included the strategy guide with the game.

Totally unique idea for the time. Can you imagine releasing a game with a strategy guide bundled in with it now? Prima and Brady would lose their collective wits.

Second, the game is incredible. It has been praised as one of the best examples of the JRPG on not only the SNES, but one of the best JRPGs period. It had a great mix of gameplay, and what was unique for the time - the game had quite a bit of humor to it as well. Grab it to play on an emulator if you can get a chance. Earthbound is consistently one of the most requested games to be released on the Wii Virtual Console for good reason.

Finally, I want this game because I've been kicking myself for 17 years for not buying it. I distinctly remember holding the box in my hands at the store, and eventually putting it back in favor of something else. Seriously, it was the stupid ad campaign that turned me off to the game. I just didn't see how a game promoted by stinky smells would be any good.

He chose...poorly. Ok, ok, last Indiana Jones Holy Grail reference, I swear!

This is a decision I've come to regret for one simple reason.

Holy crap the market value of this game is absolutely astronomical.

If you want to shell out for the just the cartridge of this game, expect to shell out close to $200 for this sucker. If you're a complete in box collector like myself, the bill comes closer to $500!

Eek.

So I hold out hope that I'll somehow find one of these in the wild someday. Someone who doesn't know the value of what the are sitting on. Someone who just wants to get rid of the old games taking up space in the attic.

And while I'm wishing for things, I wish Scarlett Johansson would suddenly appear in my lap.

Well, in all honesty...I'd take her over the game

Till next time. I promise there won't be as long of a gap between updates. And if you believe that, about that waterfront property...

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 5 (What ho! An update?)

Schizo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:58:38 GMT

You want to know why I've not been updating? I've been busy, and here is a teaser:

New and improved gaming room goodness, with lots of delicious new components? You'll see... :)

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 4 (I really suck at updating)

Schizo — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:13:24 GMT

Hello there!

Yes, it has been three months since I last updated. Want to know why I haven't updated?

Well, I'll tell you!

No wait, get back here! Sit down....I said sit down! You're gonna listen to my tale, and you're gonna like it!

Are the ropes too tight? I'd hate to have to get the shackles out. Comfortable? Well, I am...so here we go.

It all started about three months ago. I was sitting on my laptop cruising ebay for some more retro gaming goodness, when out of the blue a messenger hawk landed on my window sill. Knowing full well how messenger hawks (and other forms of archaic communication) are most certainly harbingers of a dire emergency, I immediately slammed the window shut and began a search for exterminators.

Telegrams? Pfft. Sealed letters? Don't waste my time. Engraved invitations? Don't bother. However, it was when I saw the smoke signals in the air, I knew something big was up.

I grabbed a pen and paper and began jotting down a quick translation. It seemed there was an infestation of rabid polar bears wielding semi-automatic rifles up at the north pole, and my help was needed! Either that, or it was an advertisement claiming "Eat At Joe's!". I'm not too sure, and I often get the two mixed up as my smoke signal translation is a bit rusty.

Anyway...my help was needed! Ready for battle, I immediately jumped aboard my trusty steed. I was then immediately punched in the face by my girlfriend, and I was told in in no uncertain terms that she would pack up her stuff and leave if I ever again jumped on her back and called her 'my trusty steed'. I don't think the bridle and the 'giddyap!' helped any either.

Next I....look, your continued groaning isn't helping things any. Don't make me go get the duct tape to cover your mouth with!

Now, where was I? Oh yes...eventually, I made it to the north pole, where a three-month long war was waged against the rabid polar bears and their ill-gotten weapons. There was tremendous blood spilled on both sides, and there are tales and songs of individual feats of heroism, courage, loss, and forbidden romance. But those are tales for another time...

Nevertheless, I emerged alive (though not entirely unscathed) from the whole ordeal, and I was made an honorary chieftain amongst the polar bears (my name to them is Natuk-Oh). I traveled my way back here to share this tale with you.

I promise the next post will be chock full of updates on the retro console collecting. I just felt that you all needed to know the reason for my absence.

Thanks for bearing (bear...get it? yeah, puns are the lowest form of humor) with me through all this. Now, let me untie you and we'll never speak of this again.*

*note: All of the above is entirely true. Completely. No, really. It is. All of it. Because who would believe that Schizo has been too busy being slammed at work, and having other outside issues that prevent him from posting? Everyone! And that makes for B-O-R-I-N-G reading. Besides, if you really believe all that, I have some ~~swampland~~ prime waterfront real estate out in Florida I'd like to sell you...

Retro Console Collecting - Part IX (I Suck At Updating)

Schizo — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:34:33 GMT

Woah.

You're still here reading this? I applaud your tenacity. I've been far too busy lately with work/life/world domination to post a proper update lately.

Well, here goes.

Managed to pick up the following games off of ebay:

I may be forgetting some others, but I've not had great luck lately in scoring complete in box versions of games in halfway decent condition for halfway decent prices.

*shakes fist* Damn you other collectors!

I also have become in desperate need of another A/V switch. My current switch only has positions for 4 inputs to choose from, and I currently have six devices I need to switch between (soon to be seven as soon as I get off my butt and order the proper A/V cables for the Genesis). However, the ones I've found on ebay are quite small (3-4 ports), so I'm holding out hope that I can find a monster 8+ port switch somewhere...because let's face it: swapping cables sucks!

More good news in terms of finding games locally - yet another video game store has opened up in the area. In fact, it is across the street from the only other store in the city that sells retro games. I stopped in yesterday to purchase a copy of Portal 2. Partially because I would prefer to support a locally owned and operated store, partially to check out the digs.

Compared to the other gaming store in my area, they probably have a smaller selection of retro games, but their Complete in Box selection is much greater. The pricing is a bit (ok, more than a bit) high for a lot of these games, but being that it is locally owned and operated, I probably can haggle the prices a bit. The upside is that you get to see what you're buying before you buy it (unlike ebay), and if the game isn't working or defective, you could easily return it. Try getting an ebay seller to do that!

Here comes the best part. While I was in there discussing old console collecting, I brought up the Gen 1 Sega CD I'd fried (more details can be found here, because this is nothing more than a shameless self-plug to my own blog). The staff at the store stated that they wanted to learn how to repair these, and that they'd take a look at mine and repair it for a discount as long as they could play guinea pig with my Gen 1 Sega CD.

Considering the thing is a brick right now to me, I figured why not? So I'll be dropping that off with them this weekend. I hope they can fix it.

I also learned another valuable lesson. If you go to a store looking for games to add to your collection - bring a list! I have a list of games I'd like saved on my laptop...but it doesn't do me any good there when I'm in the store. So for any of you who would like to start your own collection, make a list of games you want to get. Keep adding to it, and hopefully you can find the ones you want when there are good deals to be had.

Finally (and the most important!), enjoy your collection! I'll gladly admit that one reason I've not been expanding the collection as much lately is because I've been having too much fun playing the games I've bought!

The whole point of this collection was never to achieve 100% completion of owning every game for a system, or getting the most ultra-rare games created. I wanted to play and own all the games I never got a chance to do so when they were new. To sit down and enjoy these older games...and to that end, my collection is a success.

Good lord, I must be sick. I've made an entire, coherent, sensible, and serious post with little to no humor in it at all. I'm sure your reaction has been as such:

Retro Console Collecting - Part VIII (The Neo-Geo)

Schizo — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:11:59 GMT

"Welcome to Crrrrrrrrrrrrrazy Schizo's Recto Console Collecting Emporium! I've got Segas, I've got Nintendos, I've got Playstations! Why, I've got enough cartridges to choke a horse! Stop on down today and bring the family because we've got pony rides and clowns making balloon animals! Remember kids, tell your folks the voices in your head told you to go to Crrrrrrrrrrrazy Schizo's!"

Wow. I should have been a used car salesman. Or a Three-Ring Circus Master. What's that you say? You think I escaped from the circus? Well, it would explain my deep-seated fear of clowns...

...but enough of that. Today I'd like to discuss a console that has for a long time been my Unicorn (or Eleanor if you were a fan of the movie Gone in 60 Seconds)

Completely unrelated to this blog, but I just had to throw this out there because it is so darn pretty

This console never really took off all that well, and the biggest reason was the price. This console went on sale for $650 USD...in 1990! That is almost $1150 in today's money! Would you be willing to shell out $1150 for a console today? Heck, people were balking at the $600 PS3 just a few years ago!

But that wasn't all.

The games for this console were absolutely MASSIVE at the time. Originally specified for a maximum size of 330 megabit, this was later raised in the consoles life cycle to a whopping 716 megabits! That comes out to almost 90 megabytes, which doesn't sound so impressive today considering you can have a Micro SD card that can hold over 32 gigabytes of data, but back in the mid-90's this is an insanely high number. Consequently, this resulted in the other big drawback for this system.

The game were insanely expensive. Typically cartridges started at $200 (almost $300 adjusted for inflation) and went up from there. Can you picture dumping $300 on just one game? Heck, you can buy a new Xbox 360 and have change left over for some games for that amount.

So it is no wonder that this console didn't fare so well. If you haven't figured it out already (or read the title of this blog), the console I speak of is this the Neo-Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System):

Yes, the controllers are almost as big as the console itself.

So, given the extremely high price point of the console, and the high price point of the games, it isn't too hard to figure out that this thing didn't exactly fly off the shelves. So, in an attempt to lower costs and the entry point for gamers, SNK (the company behind the Neo-Geo) decided in 1994 to release a CD-based system. CDs obviously offered vastly more storage than the cartridge counterparts for a fraction of the price. While this did have the intended effect of lowering the cost of games, it was a disaster. The CD unit only had a 1x drive and was crippled with insufficient memory. What did this mean for gamers who purchased the Neo-Geo CD? Insufferable load times.

(and if the youtube link doesn't work up there, try clicking here)

So what does this mean for me? Well, I'm going to pay almost as much for a Neo-Geo AES via ebay as they went for when they were brand new. Some of the more rare cartridges sell for astronomical prices. This isn't something that is as easy to pick up as your typical NES cartridge.

...which is all the more reason why I want it. Granted, I can't afford it, but it is still my unicorn.

Retro Console Collecting - Part VII (The Genesis/Mega Drive)

Schizo — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:46:53 GMT

Remember the last post I made, about how there were all sorts of different AC Adapters and compatibility issues with the Genesis?

This next bit might make that all seem simple in comparison.

So, with that out of the way...let's get started talking about the Genesis (or Mega Drive, depending on your country of origin). There were three different models produced. The first one was the one I lusted after the most, mostly because it was the same model I played on with my best buddy when I was growing up. I had the SNES, he had the Genesis. It was a great working arrangement. Later on, he had the snowmobile in the winter, and I had the jet ski in the summer...but I'm running off on a tangent here. Anyway, the Genesis Model 1 was significant in that it did not output stereo sound, unless you used the front mounted headphone jack (and we'll get into why this is a bit of a PITA later)

Yeah, I was playing with "High Definition Graphics" waaaay before your fancy HDTVs

Later on in the console's life cycle, Sega had created a second, slimmer version of the Genesis, the Model 2. This device did away with the headphone jack on the front and incorporated stereo sound from the start. I was less interested in this model, and though in some respects it is easier to find, it just didn't give the same nostalgic value for me, since all my friends had the Model 1 Genesis.

No sir, I didn't like it.

There actually was a 3rd model of Genesis, but it was licensed out by Sega to a 3rd party manufacturer at the very end of the console's life cycle. I really wasn't interested in that at all, so we'll just move on here.

So, as many of you may already know, Sega was the undisputed king of the console add-on and accessory. I could devote an entire post to just some of the crazy devices Sega came out with in the 90's, but that'll be for a later time.

Hey guys, we beat the Kinect to the market by 15 years, we're totally going to be the market leader with this, right? Right? Guys?

One of the first major add-ons for the Genesis was the Sega CD. Now, the Sega CD did boast some additional hardware processing power and improvements in audio, however the biggest leap forward was the sheer size of games that could not be created. Genesis cartridges at the time were usually about 8 megabit or so. The Sega CD allowed developers to create games up to about 650 megabytes. There were two different models of that available, the model 1 was produced in fewer numbers than the model 2. The model 2 sat beside the condole and had a manual top-load cd design. The model 1 sat below the system and was a front-mount motorized cd loader. It wasn't too hard to figure out which one I wanted.

In the mid-90s, Sega was starting to feel pressure from some of its competitors that now had newer hardware out (like the Atari Jaguar and the 3DO), and the next-generation Sega Saturn still was in development. So Sega released a stopgap in the form of the 32X.

The 32X was an addon for the Genesis that turned it into a "32-bit console". Really, it was nothing more than an attempt to keep the Genesis relevant until the Saturn came along. It never did well, even though there were some great games made for it (Star Wars Arcade and Virtua Racer come to mind), mostly because gamers were now saving up for the next batch of consoles.

Yup, this is the current setup I have now. No, this is not my *actual* hardware, but you get the idea.

So, as I had posted a while back, I managed a tremendous haul off of ebay, where I picked up two Genesis model 1 consoles, a model 1 Sega CD, and a 32X. I was ecstatic. However, I was missing many of the necessary hookups. What I ended up learning was far more bizarre than you can imagine.

Ok, so to hook up a Sega Genesis Model 1 the best possible way, you would need the A/V cable with composite video. No problem. But if you wanted stereo sound, you'd have to run from the headphone jack on the front to your RCA connections on your tv or stereo. Not so nice. However, the Sega CD allowed you to patch directly from that unit, so that made things easier...provided you had a Sega CD. Oh, and don't forget that both of them needed power, so you had to run two bulky AC Adapters.

Things got really interesting with the 32X.

To run the 32X properly, you had to run the AV cable from the back of the Genesis to the 32X. The 32X then had an output for an AV cable to connect to your television.

But wait, you weren't done yet!

The 32X didn't output audio signal from the Model 1 Genesis to the television. You were in luck if you had a Sega CD, because you could patch from the headphone jack to the Sega CD, then run the audio from the Sega CD to your stereo or television.

*whew*

And don't even get me started on the fact that you now need a 3rd block AC adapter to run the system.

A site that I came across with lots of helpful information on the subject was GameTROG, and luckily for me, they sell all the cables that I need to properly hook this stuff up. I can only hope there are more sites like this that exist for other gaming systems, since manuals are difficult to come by, and there is no such thing as tech support you can call for these older systems.

I'll leave you with one last tidbit. Sega really was the undisputed king of add-ons (though the silly attachments for the Wii are a rapidly-closing second place), and only Sega would give you something like this:

The Sega Tower of DOOM!

Thanks for reading. My next installment will hopefully delve a bit more into some classic gaming goodness, or may discuss other consoles in depth a bit more.

What would you like to hear about? I'm open to suggestions! But I won't write about pineapples. No way, no how. Not happening.

Retro Console Collecting - Part VI (Power Blues)

Schizo — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:53:21 GMT

Helloooooooooooo Cincinnati! Are you ready to rock?

...which is what I would say if I were a rock star. In Cincinnati. About to rock out.

But alas, I am none of the above, just your run-of-the-mill console fanatic here today with another installment of Retro Console Collecting. Today I'm going to be discussing the trials and tribulations I've encountered regarding some power issues on the consoles as of late.

I think most of us (myself included) take for granted that when we buy our nice new gadgets right out of the box, packaged right with it is a nice power cord along with it, properly sized to power the device. However, in the console collecting world, this becomes a bit more difficult, as many times consoles will be sold without the AC adapters, or can be packaged with improper ones (as I learned the hard way). I'm sure many of you have a box (or in my case...four) of old electronic junk sitting around your home, filled with AC adapters you have no idea what they go to.

I recently wrote about my find on ebay of a couple of Sega Genesis Model I consoles, along with a Model I Sega CD, and a 32X. However, I only received one power supply that was original to the equipment, and through my own folly, I managed to set the Sega CD on fire by plugging in an improper AC adapter.

Oops.

Well, now I'm on the search for finding replacement power cords for these devices (and maybe getting the Sega CD fixed?). This is where things get difficult.

From what I understand, the original Model 1 Genesis and Model 1 Sega CD both used the same AC adapter, but this is incompatible with the Model 2 & 3 Genesis. Apparently, this is also the same AC adapter as was used on the Sega Game Gear too. However, the Model 2 & 3 Genesis use the same Adapter as the 32X, which was also compatible with the Sega Nomad, but these are not backward compatible with the older AC adapters.

Confused yet?

Now I sit here in 'analysis paralysis'. I really want to pick up some AC adapters so I can power all these devices properly, but now I'm too chickensh*t to actually go through with buying anything. What if I plug in the new power cord and I burn out another piece of equipment? What if it is a cheap knockoff of poor quality that harms the equipment? What if a plane suddenly crashes into my home and manages to irritate a rather nasty hangnail of mine?

This is where I need a better resource to find out what exactly is and is not compatible with the devices I have. I'm not going to trust some ebay seller who says it is compatible, I need model numbers of OEM parts to match up.

This is the frustrating part. This is my next quest. I will get these devices running!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming:

Retro Console Collecting - Part V (Originals vs Remakes)

Schizo — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:07:55 GMT

Greetings once again, and welcome to yet another installment of Retro Console Collecting.

After dropping some insane amounts of money on Christmas gifts and previously on some ebay finds, I'd decided to take it easy with the spending lately, which is partially why I've not posted to this in a while. However, some events last night inspired me to get a piece going for today.

Now, a recent trend I've noticed in gaming is "updating" or "modernizing" older games. Now, you'd think being such an old console purist, I'd be completely against it, and then go off on some hate filled speech proclaiming why the modernizations stunk, how this was an abomination to gaming, chestnuts are lazy, and then further degenerate into an incoherent set of babbling punctuated by occasional bits of frothing at the mouth.

Well, I'm really ok with it. In fact, I'm starting to embrace the idea more and more. Surprised? So was I...

I'm not as "hip" and "with it" as I used to be. In fact, I think I forgot what "it" was. But I digress...anyway, this all started while visiting some friends for the holidays. We decided to start playing the New Super Mario Brothers Wii game.

Oh my.

It was like playing a brand new pre-Mario 64 side-scrolling Mario game. Except that this one had all new modern visuals and sound. It still retained the same basic control schemes and gameplay. I was instantly in love. They'd managed to replicate the flavor of old console gaming on a new, modern system. We had 4 people playing at once, and before consoles had 4 controller inputs standard on them, this was not something you usually had a lot of.

My joy now knew no bounds (the 4 or 5 beers in me at that point didn't hurt either)...at least right up until the point where my girlfriend managed to jump off my head, avoiding certain doom by falling into a pit...whilst simultaneously sending me off to that same fate. This was when the dark side of New Super Mario rears its ugly head. This game will end friendships.

(My girlfriend keeps asking me if we can get a Wii and New Super Mario. I tell her our relationship would be over in less than a week if that happened.)

So, new Super Mario did my heart well. However, these guys had another trick up their sleeve.

We fired up the PS3, they handed out 4 controllers, and they fired up a remake of one of the best arcade games I've ever played.

Turtles In Time

My jaw hit the floor. Here was the same game I'd wasted hours playing on the SNES and in the Arcade 20 years ago. Except this one was gussied up a bit...but still retained the same gameplay mechanics. I didn't even need to play it, I was just enamored by seeing the same game I'd grown up playing being replayed in front of my eyes, but in a totally different way.

During dinner, we were discussing these games, and I found out that this wasn't the only game that had received the remake treatment. One of my favorite console games of all time had gotten a fresh coat of paint on it, so to speak. I could hardly contain myself (and maybe peed my pants only a little bit) when I heard what else had been remade.

Earthworm Jim

(You totally get bonus points from me if you just read that in a belching voice. If you've played the original, you'd understand.)

I had to get the demo. When I got home, I logged onto PSN to find it. Sure enough, 30 minutes later, I was ready to play. Here we go...

It was the same game I'd loved years ago. The visuals and audio were improved, and there were some gameplay improvements as well (being able to switch weapons now? Awesome!). Not only that, but there were new multiplayer modes to be had as well. I had a feeling I was going to buy the full version right then and there.

But I didn't. Why, you ask?

First, the game control felt...off. I wasn't controlling the character as well as I normally felt I could if I'd been playing the original. Jumps I could have made blindfolded were next to impossible now. Enemies that I had no trouble defeating before now gave me difficulty. Was it just that I was rusty?

The answer was no. We all know I'm too awesome for that.

But there is a better answer.

While visiting my folks for the holidays, I managed to pick up my old SNES and all my old games. Well, last night, I fired up the original Earthworm Jim.

I rocked it. Before I realized it, I was already past "Snot a Problem" and was onto "Level 5" before I looked up and realized that I'd been playing for about 40 minutes. Everything in the original felt smooth and natural to me. The new version really is...off. I wish I could explain it better. Just to make sure, I turned off the original, went into the other room, and immediately played the remake. Sure enough, the control "feel" just wasn't there. The timing felt all wrong.

Even then, I really really want to buy this game. I think it is fantastic that developers have come to their senses and realize that a lot of old games relied on great gameplay rather than the flashiest visuals around. Modernizing these older games, and introducing them to a whole new generation of games does nothing except enrich the whole gaming scene. Buying this would support endeavors like this, and pave the way for more developers to do the same.

But one thing has stopped me from buying it.

I just can't bring myself to buy a game I already own. Especially when I think I like the original version better.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about the remake. And for someone who has never played the original, if they were to play only one version, I'd probably tell them to play the remake.

I guess I'm just old, stubborn, and set in my ways.

So, my question to you is this: what other games do you know of that have been remade? What games are on the horizon for being remade? Was this a horrible expreiment gone wrong? Do you pronounce it toe-MAE-toe, or toh-MAH-toe? Let me know!

Now, get off my lawn!

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 3 (Merchandise!)

Schizo — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:11:35 GMT

With a title like that, you'd think I'd be starting to sell t-shirts or something. Well, I'm not.

Unless you'd buy them. Hey, I gotta get money to feed this expensive habit somehow! :p

Well, today it is time for yet another interlude. Unfortunately, there has been very little to update all of you on in terms of the collection expanding. I swore off any buying until the holidays are over, and I've not had a chance to get in-depth about some of the consoles and games I'm lusting after at the moment. Heck, I've barely had time to play anything lately.

No, this entry is going to be about some really neat stuff I got for my birthday yesterday. My girlfriend who ~~barely tolerates my obsession~~ fully supports my hobby got me a couple of things that fit right in with the theme of all this.

Now for gratuitous photos. Sadly, they are stock photos because I didn't think to take any pictures last night.

First up, a shirt:

Second, a couple of mugs that change when hot liquid is poured in them. One is Space Invaders, and the other is Pac-Man:

YouTube - Heat Changing Arcade Mugs from ThinkGeek

So there ya go, some really nifty retro gaming stuff that I think fits in quite nicely.

I'll see you all after the holidays when we get back on track to expanding the collection again ;)

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 2 (A Movie)

Schizo — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:38:26 GMT

Greetings once again! I promise this post will be much shorter than my last one, and for once, I won't be talking about console collecting and me me me. Nope, I'm going to talk about a documentary that fits in quite nicely with the whole retro gaming theme of this blog.

I speak of this movie: The King of Kong.

The documentary chronicles the attempt to break the long-standing Donkey Kong world record score set back in 1982, a 23-year long standing record at the time of filming in this documentary.

Personally, I was awash with a feeling of nostalgia seeing the arcades in this movie, complete with all of the classic titles and gameplay footage. Not to mention, it reminded me of just how awesome and inspiring it could be to watch a master play one of these games in public.

If you enjoy retro gaming...heck any sort of gaming, I think you would do yourself a favor in watching this. It is a reminder of what it takes to be the best...not only in gaming, but in anything in life.

Oh, and for the record? I checked out what the current highscore for DK is now, do yourself a favor and look that up only after you've watched the film.

Enjoy!

Retro Console Collecting - Part IV (Ebay Highs and Lows)

Schizo — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:14:18 GMT

After far too long of a hiatus, I have made my triumphant return! Real life is such a PITA sometimes, and I've just not had the chance to brag (bLOg, I meant blog...just two letters off there) about some of my recent finds/purchases/outbid/omgwtfbbq experiences on ebay over the last two months to grow the collection.

So I'm back, and glad you're all with me here.

*crickets chirping*

So we'll start off with my experiences and prices paid so far:

The Good

Ok, so one of the first games I wanted to pick up isn't exactly retro...but I loved borrowing them from a friend, and I decided it was finally time to add them to my collection. I'm talking about Knights of the Old Republic I & II for the Xbox.

Well, I managed to find a seller that was selling both...with the strategy guides no less. Seemed like a good deal, so I plopped in a bid for both and sat back.

10 seconds left to go in the auction, and I had been outbid on KOTOR1! I scrambled to place another bid, as I'd set mine far too low. I was fumbling around with the trackpad on the laptop (the two glasses of wine in me at this point probably didn't help any either), and the auction ended before I could increase the bid...for a pretty reasonable price no less (~$13 or so).

If I had wallpaper in my house, it would have peeled off the wall with the expletives that spewed out of my mouth at that point.

Well, now I was determined. The auction for KOTOR2 was ending in about 2 minutes, and now I was determined not to be outbid by this same jackhole. I bumped up my max bid to about $30 or so. Of course, the bastard tried to snipe this auction away from me too, but I ended up with it at the end for $17.50. Not a bad deal, considering when the item arrived, the game was flawless, and the strategy guide was still in its shrinkwrap!

I've added this seller into my favorites list. I picked up one more game + strategy guide from them: Okami for the PS2, for $20.50. Again, both the game and guide were in excellent condition. The only drawback is that this seller never really has anything older than a PS1 game + guide for sale, so that means I had to look elsewhere for some of the older stuff.

Way back when I was a youngin' I had a subscription to Nintendo Power magazine. Right around the time the SNES was about to come out (1991), they had as their cover game was an NES game called Vice: Project Doom. It looked great! However, none of the rental places near me ever had it, and neither I nor my friends ever bought it...simply because we were all saving up for the SNES at the time...and lets face it, as soon as I got the SNES, I wasn't spending money on NES games much after that.

So it had always appealed to me, and without ever having played it, I knew I wanted it. I found a Buy It Now auction for the game, complete in box, for only $20 in reasonably good condition. Boy, I snatched that right up!

The game itself is an absolute blast! It has driving stages, 1st person shooter stages, and side scrolling run n' gun stages. Wow, this is a lost gem for the NES. Pick it up if you can for your emulator, Virtual Console, or (if I've inspired you enough) see if you can score a copy for the NES too!

So my next game had a very similar fate as Vice: Project Doom. It came out well after the release of the SNES, and while it received excellent reviews, it was largely ignored by the gaming community that had already moved on to the SNES. I speak of Gargoyle's Quest 2.

It was a sequel to the original Gargoyle's Quest on the Gameboy. Let me tell you, this game is fun...but hard! It has some RPG elements mixed in, but is essentially a side scrolling platformer at heart. Due to it being released late in the NES lifecycle, there weren't many copies of it, which makes it difficult (read: expensive) to find a CIB version. I got mine for just under $30 shipped, which wasn't a half bad deal really.

From the same seller I also picked up Kid Chameleon for the Genesis. Boy, was I glad this game had the instructions with it. I never would have realized just how much the different outfits imparted different abilities if I hadn't read through that.

Ok, I'm lying. I did try to play through it without reading the manual. I got stuck, got frustrated, and shut it off. A few days later, I started reading the manual, the light bulb goes off in my head, and that was that. I've been playing too many modern games lately that have walkthroughs and tutorials on how to play. I forgot back in the day, you were supposed to read the manual first, then play the game...which is why I want games with the instructions.

Anyway, I picked up that game for under $4! I just couldn't say no to that deal.

The Bad

Yes, I get outbid on things sometimes. Probably the most ridiculous ones I can mention so far:

Kid Icarus (NES) - complete in box. Sold for $86!

Atari Jaguar with CD and 6 games - $235!

A broken 1st gen Sega CD went for over $50!

Seriously, were these people on CRACK?

And I've had one bad transaction on Ebay as well. I found an amazing deal for Crystalis on the NES, CIB shipped for $7.00! I won the auction, paid immediately, and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I got a message from the seller about there being a death in the family, blah blah blah, I'll ship it out tomorrow. So I waited. And waited some more. Finally, I sent an ultimatum that they should send me a tracking number, or I was leaving negative feedback and demanding my money back.

The case is still open right now. We'll see what happens.

The Ugly

Ugly? Wait, no...this is where I boast about my biggest haul ever!

The Bonanza

Let me just run down the list for you:

Two Model 1 Sega Genesis Systems
A Sega 32X
A Model 1 Sega CD
4 Genesis controllers (one 3-button, 3 6-button)
A Sega Nomad
A 3-button Joystick
Sega Saturn steering wheel
And the following games:
X-Men
Joe Montana Football
Tecmo Super Bowl
NHL '94
NHL '96
Street Fighter II
Golden Axe

And the following CD games:

Lunar
Eternal Champions

The whole thing was probably worth at least $250 or so.

I picked it all up for...

(wait for it)

Eighty Eight dollars!

I couldn't believe it. That was the deal of the century as far as I was concerned! I sill can't figure out how I got all that for so cheap. Granted, there were a few issues, some of the boxes didn't match the games, and there were no A/V or power cables for the 32X or the Nomad...but still! This was an amazing deal, and I wasn't about to complain. Except for my own stupidity, which brings me to...

The Ugly

(I lied, there is some ugly to all this)

So here I got a gigantic box full of new system and game goodies, so the first thing I do is hook it up and start playing! I connect the Sega CD to one of the consoles, make all the necessary connections, and fire it up.

Well, the Genesis works fine, but the CD isn't turning on. Oh well, I probably have the AC adapters reversed, or maybe one is bad. So I switch them. Once I plug the other AC cord into the CD, I see a light come on inside. Huzzah!

I realized quickly that it wasn't a light that I had seen come on once I started to see smoke coming out of the back of the unit. That wasn't a light, it was something on fire! My cries of victory soon turned into screams of anguish. I'd managed to burn out the CD unit by using an improper AC cord.

So, what have I learned from all this?

Don't set your ebay prices too low - don't let someone snipe away a good deal from you at the last second.
Don't drink and ebay. Beating the bastard who is bidding against you is fun...until you spend too much money.
Some people just suck, and won't send you the item you bought.
Just throw a bid out there, even if it seems too good to be true, you might just end up with something wonderful
Mimes are abominations.
Check to make sure you're plugging in equipment with the proper power cords.

That's all for now. After all this, I've promised myself no more ebaying until after the holidays. Never fear, I'll be back with more installments discussing various consoles, and the variants on them...and why I lust after specific ones.

Oy, this was a LONG post!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled crickets.

*more crickets chirping*

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude (Ebay Stuff)

Schizo — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:02:23 GMT

Not really a full-fledged posting here, because I really do want to get more in-depth with each console in its own separate post.

No, this is more of a teaser of things to come.

Over the last couple of months I've been keeping an eye on ebay, gauging market prices for things.

Well, this weekend was the weekend of deals...plus I won one auction that was an absolute screaming steal.

If it pans out, I'll devote a whole post just to the awesomeness of it.

Oh, and there was one item that went for way too much money too.

I'll leave you with this: I may have just added 3 new consoles to my collection for under $100 - and it is of the more rare variety.

However, I've made a promise to myself too - no more ebay for the rest of the year! I need to start spending money on Christmas presents, not more toys for myself.

Once I have everything in my possession, I promise full disclosure.

I'm such a tease. I hope enough people are reading this and genuinely interested to be a bit excited too.

What's that you say? You want a hint? Well, ok...here is one:

I'm sure some of you know what this is already ;)

Retro Console Collecting - Part III (Expanding the Collection)

Schizo — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:12:19 GMT

Hello there, once again it looks like you've managed to click the wrong link. Either that or you're actually reading some of this drivel. In which case you've probably already hit the back button on your browser already (or for the really extreme, alt+F4), but for those brave adventurous souls, I'm going to continue on with Part III of my series on retro console collecting.

In case you missed the last two installments (and just why did you do that, hmmmm?), you can check them out here:

Part 1
Part 2

Okay, now that you're sufficiently caught up, I'm going to discuss some of the methods by which I'm going about expanding the collection.

Now, collecting retro consoles and games can be as easy, or as difficult as you want it to be. Do you only care if the games work, even if they are beat to hell/missing labels/discolored, or do you want something that is near mint...or even still factory sealed? Do you want just the game/system itself, or do you want to have all the extras, such as the boxes and instruction manuals? Do you want to get game titles that were common as dirt, or do you want something so limited that only 26 copies are known to exist like this bad boy pictured below:

The point is, you can make this as easy or as hard on yourself as you want it to be.

I set the following guidelines for how I would expand my collection:

Games and systems must be in playable condition. Anything more than light scuffing on a disc is unacceptable.
All games must be Complete In Box (that is, game + instructions + box).
Game boxes, manuals, and cartridges must be in a minimum of good condition (i.e. slight bends and creases in the boxes and manuals are acceptable...but nothing that has ripped labels/missing pages, etc)
Scarlett Johansson would instantly feel an uncontrollable urge to rip off all her clothes and immediately jump me in the presence of such a collection (still waiting on that one)
Rarity is not a giant factor in picking up games, as this collection is meant to be played. That said, if there are multiple variants on a console or game, I'll be more receptive to the rarer variant.
Factory sealed in box is a waste of money, I want to play this stuff!

Luckily, I had a nice head start on the CIB portion. Due to my anal-retentive nature, I had kept all the boxes and instruction manuals from my games as a kid. Currently they are in storage up in the garage at my parents' house (thanks mom and dad for not throwing those out!).

So I started making a list of systems and games that I wanted to get. Boy did that get out of control quickly. I'll delve a bit more into that in later installments.

So, now I'd set my guidelines, made a list, checked it twice, disposed of the body of the dead hooker in my trunk, and brushed my teeth. I was ready to start expanding the collection!

So where to start? Well, the obvious first choice was ebay. Ebay is a great place to find collectible stuff...problem is, every other collector around the world is on ebay as well. It is possible to find some good deals here and there, but most of the people on ebay know the value of the items being sold (even if the seller has no clue!), so it is difficult to find a gem on ebay.

Ebay: great selection, good place to find rare variants, but be prepared to bid against all the other collectors.

The second good place to check out - the local gaming store! Now, I'm not talking about your chains like Gamestop, as they only cater to the latest generation of consoles. However, I'm lucky enough to have a gaming store here in Buffalo that buys/sells just about anything video game related. The upshot is that they are super friendly, you get the immediate satisfaction of buying a game that day and taking it home with you, and a nice feeling that you're helping support local businesses. However, selection is limited (even moreso for CIB examples!), and the prices tend to be a bit higher than what you can get on ebay.

Local store: immediate gratification & great staff, however tends to be a bit pricey and you're at the mercy of whatever they have in stock.

When I mentioned my collecting to a co-worker, he immediately recommended the local flea market. My reaction?

O_o

Ok, so it wasn't exactly what I had immediately thought of. Well, it was a really great place to check out a lot of classic stuff. However, you're going to have to haggle with people over pricing, and I'm just not much of a haggling type. The whole atmosphere was...strange to me. However, I went there before I had written down the list, and they had tons of games there. I may go back with my list and see what deals I may be able to score.

Flea Market: surprisingly decent selection, but be prepared to haggle.

Finally, (and with no luck...yet), I've been scouring the Craigslist ads daily. This looks like the best place to score some great deals. However, most of the posts on Craigslist are only for the current generation of consoles. However, every now and then you'll see someone clearing out their old system and games. Why, just the other day I saw an ad for a guy selling 25 boxed Intellivision games! If I'd had the Intellivision on my list to collect (not yet, maybe later though), I would have been all over that.

Craigslist: best potential to score something great at a low price, but it is very hit-or-miss.

So there you have it, those are the methods by which I am looking to increase the collection. Of course, if you have anything (or know anyone selling), feel free to let me know as I'm always open to other avenues of expanding the collection!

In the next few installments, I'll be doing a system-by-system breakdown of the console, and some of the games I'm gunning for.

You've made it this far? Why, you deserve a cookie!

Till next time! :D

Retro Console Collecting - Part II (The Setup)

Schizo — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:07:37 GMT

Hello everyone, and welcome back to yet another edition of Schizo's Retro Console Collecting (now with 50% more nudity!).

Since I got all the background info out of the way in my first installment (which can be read here, if you missed it - and yes, this is a shameless plug), I figured the next step would be to show you the current setup I have.

When I moved into the house, my girlfriend had an entertainment center she was no longer using. Well, it fit just perfectly in a nice alcove in the room.

For the television, I wanted one of the last great analog televisions made. Why not a new fancy HDTV you ask? Well, there are a few inherent problems with this:

All new digital sets have to take the incoming analog signal and convert it to a digital format. This leads to some loss in the image, and it is not accurately reproduced
They're just too darn good at producing the images! Think back to the televisions we used to play these old systems on. They weren't as sharp, and so rough-edged sprites were softened and rounded a bit more. Modern televisions will give the sprites a harder and crisper edge to them.
Most obvious - all new televisions now are in a 16:9 widescreen format, and the older games were meant for 4:3 aspect ratio televisions! You either have to deal with black bars on the sides of the screen (distracting), or stretch the image to fit the screen (ugly).

So I managed to score an awesome deal on Craigslist. A flat-screen 24" Sony tube television (the KV-24FS120 if you really want to get technical) that I picked up for $30. What a steal! This television has RF, Composite, S-Video, and even Component hookups (though the maximum resolution it can display in is only 480i), so I have plenty of options for hooking up all my gear.

So enough walls of text, here is what you all came here to see...GRATUITOUS NUDITY!

(note: I have been since informed by Management that I am no longer allowed to expose myself in this blog. Or threaten to expose myself. Or use the word nudity as it pertains to me in any way shape or form. In fact, I am never allowed to take my clothes off again. Ever.)

Ok, with that out of the way, here are some shots of my setup:

Yes, I know there are some empty shelves in there. Like I said, this is a collection in progress, and I want room to expand. There are even 2 more shelves to the unit I've yet to put in, so I'll have plenty of room for expansion!

Next, a little zoom in for ya. My Dreamcast (with a large spindle of...um, backups) and my original Playstation:

On the other side, we have the N64, the Xbox, and the NES:

Above the television, I have my switchbox for the inputs (already ran out of room on that and I need another one). When possible, I connect each system using the best possible video input available, which in most cases is S-Video for older systems. Also of note, I have my Nintendo DS Lite up there, as well as a GBA, and the GBA-Gamecube adapter (why the hell did I ever waste good money for that? I think I used it to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles once).

So you're probably wondering, "Why do we drive on parkways, and park in driveways?" To which, I would counter with, "If you were driving your car at the speed of light, what would happen if you turned on your headlights?"

Deep, deep thoughts.

But anyway, what you should be wondering is where I put the games. Well I'm glad you asked! On the back wall, there are bookshelves set up. I've put all my PS2, PS3, Gamecube, DS, and Xbox games up there already. I plan on putting the remainder up there once I get a chance.

With just one exception ;)

Back in 4th grade, I made a box in shop class for my NES games. For nostalgia's sake, I still keep my NES carts in this box:

Finally, I'll leave you with two of my favorite things: ~~Pirates and Wenches~~ Gaming and Drinking...which usually leads to a lot of curse words strung together with no coherent meaning whatsoever.

Stay thirsty my friends!

Come back for Part III where I'll discuss the current crop of games I have, and the process by which I am selecting new games and consoles to add to the collection, and maybe sneak in some of that sweet, sweet gratuitous nudity :p

Retro Console Collecting - Part I (The Intro & Background)

Schizo — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:41:25 GMT

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new feature I'm starting! My name is Schizo, and in this blog I will be discussing ~~how to continue to be a high-functioning and contributing member of society, all while hiding a severe and crippling crystal meth addiction from your friends, family, and co-workers~~.

No wait...sorry, wrong blog. I got confused there for a second.

No, today I'll be discussing a new hobby of mine. Retro console gaming - specifically the building of a collection.

Some background: I'm 30 years old. The first console I remember playing was an Atari 2600 at the age of 4. The family that used to babysit me had one. I can remember playing Combat against their kids, and I was hooked. I knew I was a gamer. My parents wanted no part of buying me a console as they just considered it an expensive toy. Well, it took a few years, but finally five years later, I convinced them to buy me an NES.

Joy!

Well, also back in the day before we had the internet (obligatory "Get off my lawn!" Man, I'm getting old) to inform us of the newest games coming out, complete with screenshots and videos of these soon-to-be released games, we relied on gaming magazines to give us all our info. I had subscriptions to EGM and Gamepro, which did nothing except fuel my passion for gaming even more.

Being a kid with very little income of my own, I had to figure out many ways to feed my gaming habit. Buying games was tough, because it took a very long time to save up allowance money from doing household chores to buy a game. Often I'd trade games with friends, or even rent games for a few days. However, there were always more games out there that I wanted to play than I could ever keep up with.

Once I started reading the magazines, I also realized how many games were out there for systems I didn't even own! How was a young kid supposed to come up with the money to buy a system AND games for it too?

Well, the short answer was: you didn't.

So here I am, much older (not necessarily wiser, mind you). I just bought a house that has more rooms in it that I know what to do with. I have a bunch of my old consoles in boxes that I moved into the house, and now I have some disposable income. It was time to do something I'd dreamed about for years.

Time to go buy all the old consoles and games I never had as a kid and have a room devoted to retro gaming.

I know what you're thinking. What would happen if Pinocchio said, "My nose will now grow."? I say it is like dividing by zero, the Universe would implode upon itself.

But you're probably also thinking: "Schiz, you're a dumbass. Why go through all the time, effort, and money to get all these old games and consoles? Haven't you ever heard of an EMULATOR? Sheesh."

I won't argue the first point (mostly because it's true). However, I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to these things. Emulation is all well and good, and if you enjoy it then all power to you. You'll live a happier, wealthier, and more stress-free life going down the emulation route. On the other hand, to me, there is no substitute for playing a game with the original controller, reproduced on the very same console the developer initially programmed it for. Every pixel is perfectly recreated, and every sound is pristine. No sissy save states, you play the game the way it was meant to be played. Emulators are all well and good, but playing a game on one is a...hollow...experience for me.

Now, if you understand that, then you'll understand the whole point of why I'm doing this.

So that gives you the background on what I'm doing. I plan on using this blog to chronicle how I go about building my setup, my initial collection, and how I plan to proceed. Specific things that I'll address are differences in console hardware versions (and why there are specific ones I lust after more than others), my list of games & systems I want to pick up, my existing games and systems, and the trials and tribulations of picking up pieces to the collection along the way.

So if none of this makes sense to you, or is boring, then ~~go sit on your finger and rotate~~ uh, I mean...I wish you nothing but the best, and thanks for reading this far.

But if any of this does sound interesting to you, then by all means...sit back, relax, pop open a tasty beverage (or eight) and enjoy the ride.

Also, this whole thing is meaningless without any input from you guys. I welcome any and all feedback! Got ideas of how best to snag some retro gaming stuff? Any specific system you'd like me to discuss? Hell, got old gaming stuff you want to sell me? Got a great pot roast recipe I should try? Do you think my writing style sucks and you wish I'd just throw myself off the nearest tall bridge? Let me know!

In Part II, I'll be discussing the setup of the room, along with the current consoles and games I have in there. I promise pictures.

Till then, I leave you with a picture of a cute girl wearing a crazy hat.